Chapter 36: It’s all the King Qi’s whims

There are many nobles in the capital, but if Shopkeeper Leng speaks to her with such caution, it is clear that they are not ordinary people.

Qin Yuan nodded and said, “Why don’t you ask Manager Leng to call a waiter over? I’ll just ask a few trivial questions and then leave.”

Shopkeeper Leng tried to dissuade him, “Ranxiangju is the shop of the Marquis’ Mansion, and I am half a member of the Marquis’ Mansion. How can I wrong the owner? The one who came today is the King of Qi. He came here just to ask about the incense and will leave soon.”

Seeing that he was frightened, Qin Yuan stopped refusing.

Ranxiangju is a large store, three or four times the size of an ordinary shop. It is spacious inside, with many cabinets made of nanmu standing against the wall. From the ground to the roof, there are many small drawers neatly divided out. Light-colored wooden signs are hung outside the drawers to indicate the names of the spices.

Just by looking at the furnishings, you can tell that Ranxiangju only makes top-quality spices.

Everywhere you look, you can see a complete range of spices, which are stored in an orderly manner so they won’t taint each other or go bad.

Seeing her expression of approval, Manager Leng smiled and said, “Ranxiangju has a full range of spices, including varieties from the Western Regions and overseas. If Madam wants to have a perfume made, just take the list from the store and order it. I guarantee that we can have everything made.”

Qin Yuan asked: “Manager Leng has managed Ranxiangju very well. I wonder where he hired the perfume blender for the store?”

If a spice shop wants to run well, it must first have sufficient reserves of spices, and secondly, have a good perfume blender who can blend fashionable and popular perfumes. Otherwise, it must be able to meet the various strange demands of customers.

Although Qin Yuan is good at making incense, he mainly focuses on medicinal incense. Seeing that Ranxiangju has a complete range of spices, he can’t help but want to ask about the origins of the perfume making master so that he can learn from him from time to time in the future.

Shopkeeper Leng laughed dryly a few times and said, “I haven’t found a suitable perfume blender, so I’m doing this part-time.”

Qin Yuan immediately wanted to make friends with him.

There are probably not many shopkeepers in the whole capital who can not only make incense but also handle the affairs in the store.

As Shopkeeper Leng entered the private room, the room was filled with a cool and subtle fragrance that instantly swept away the summer heat and refreshed the mind.

“It smells so good,” Qin Yuan praised with a smile.

Hongye and Cuiming couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

Shopkeeper Leng smiled reservedly.

The waiter brought the tea and snacks, then stood aside and said, “Boss, the chief official from Prince Qi’s palace is here.”

After Shopkeeper Leng left, Qin Yuan sat in the private room and waited slowly. The decoration of the private room was simple but not shabby. There were several calligraphy and paintings hung on the wall, all of which were works by famous people of the time. There were also several fine bonsai on the shelves for people to appreciate.

“Why did Manager Leng say that he was half a member of the Marquis’ Mansion?” Qin Yuan asked.

Gu Shiliu said, “Manager Leng is Rong Mama’s son-in-law, so he is half a member of the Marquisate.”

“Oh?”

Qin Yuan was a little surprised.

Gu Shiliu added, “Madame Rong is the most useful person around the old lady. Her son is also very important. No one in the mansion dares to disrespect her. Madame Rong used to be the old lady’s personal maid. After she got married, she became a housekeeper. After she became a widow, she came back to continue serving the old lady. To say she served means to keep her company.”

Qin Yuan nodded and took note of it.

Gu Shiliu said, “Madam, if you have time, you should spend more time with Rong Mama. She knows all the relationships in this mansion.”

“Yeah,” Qin Yuan raised her eyelids and glanced at Gu Shiliu.

Being looked at by such a cold and bright pair of eyes, Gu Shiliu felt awkward for some reason and said, “This is what the Marquis asked me to tell Madam.”

Qin Yuan chuckled and said, “I know that the Marquis has good intentions. He is worried that I am young and have never managed a household before, so he is afraid that I will make a fool of myself, so he specifically gave me some advice.”

Gu Shiliu was surprised and said, “Madam is really smart. She has thought of everything without me even telling her.”

This isn’t all flattery.

Madam Hou is beautiful, has a good temperament, is good at dealing with people, and is very careful with her words. She is really good in every way. Qin Yuan said nothing more and listened to the noise outside.

The elegant room was separated and not very soundproof. A clear male voice could be heard vaguely, as if he was complaining about something.

Hongye’s ears were sharp, and she whispered, “Miss, the one who spoke should be His Royal Highness Prince Qi. He said that although the incense prepared by Shopkeeper Leng is good, it is not the incense he wants.”

When Gu Shiliu heard Hongye calling the lady “Miss”, he couldn’t help but glance at her.

Hongye was just listening carefully and didn’t pay any attention.

Cui Ming saw it.

Qin Yuan couldn’t help but wonder what kind of strange fragrance His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi was looking for.

In his previous life, this Prince Qi had the opportunity to ascend the throne, but for some unknown reason he fell ill and became increasingly weak, and died before he was thirty.

She had once met Lin Ziqi as a concubine when he was touring the south of the Yangtze River.

He is truly a handsome, elegant and graceful gentleman.

Lin Ziqi also praised him privately, saying that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi was as clear and bright as a jade mountain about to fall, and that he was a gentle gentleman with the appearance of a wise monarch.

Who would have thought that such a person would end up like that?

It is true that the good things in the world are not solid, colorful clouds are easily dispersed and glass is fragile.

Hongye interrupted her thoughts and said, “The incense that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi is looking for should help people sleep peacefully and have fewer dreams, and it should also be able to invigorate their spirits. Shopkeeper Leng said that he can’t make this kind of incense, and I’m afraid there are only a few people in the whole capital who can make it.”

Qin Yuan’s heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

The Chen family’s ancestral recipe for using incense as medicine includes this kind of incense, which is not allowed to be easily prepared or passed on to outsiders.

I don’t know where the King of Qi heard this from.

In her previous life, she had tried to find out about the descendants of the Chen family and also tried to investigate her maternal grandfather’s case, but later had to put it aside, which she deeply regretted.

After a while, the King of Qi took his leave.

When Shopkeeper Leng entered the elegant room again, he looked unhappy and bowed to apologize, saying, “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.”

Qin Yuan knew that he had no way of making the scent that the King of Qi wanted, and felt anxious, so he smiled and asked, “It’s okay, I wonder what kind of scent His Royal Highness the King of Qi wants?”

Shopkeeper Leng was upset and couldn’t help complaining, “Your Highness the Prince of Qi heard from somewhere that there is a kind of medicinal incense that can soothe people’s minds at night and make them fall asleep, and can also make people energetic and focused during the day. The smell should also be distant and light, with a lingering aftertaste. I can match this kind of fragrance, but I really can’t make it work.”

Qin Yuan sighed and said, “This is the first time I’ve heard of this kind of fragrance.”

Shopkeeper Leng immediately said, “Yes, I really can’t make it, and I’m afraid no one in the capital can make it. Spices can be used as medicine, but most perfume masters have a basic understanding of medicine, but it’s difficult to master it. Those who are proficient in medicine may not know the art of perfume, so it’s really difficult to make.”

The implication is that the King of Qi just had a whim.

Qin Yuan sighed a few times in agreement, and after Shopkeeper Leng calmed down, he mentioned the matter of purchasing pepper.

Shopkeeper Leng was indeed well-informed. He said, “We have some in the store, but not much. It’s far from the amount Madam wants. Although pepper has become more and more expensive in recent years, several wealthy merchants have jointly planned to go to sea to sell pepper. They can go to sea three times a year. Madam, please buy less. If you buy too much, I’m afraid you won’t be able to sell it in a hurry.”

The implication is that you are bound to lose money.

Qin Yuan only asked him to find out if anyone wanted to ship a large quantity of goods and then come find her.

Shopkeeper Leng had no choice but to agree.

When Qin Yuan returned to Wutong Garden, it was already past lunch time. As she entered the yard, she saw Lord Gu, who always avoided her, leaning against the railing on the corridor, looking at them with an unhappy face.

(End of this chapter)